Protection
by ribbonelle
Summary: Protecting two people with the same intensity would probably be against the rules, wouldn't it? Or at least it wouldn't make Mondo feel good about himself. (pre-despair, everyone knows chihiro's secret, dumb boys and chihi helping out (i used female pronouns here if thats ok))


Life for Oowada Mondo is indubitably with order nowadays, even though its something he doesn't particularly like to admit. He's been going to school more (thanks to Ishimaru), getting less detentions (Ishimaru again), riding just a little less dangerously (Ishimaru but boy did they argue over this one), and he's been working out a little more regularly as well (this one goes to Chihiro). He's best friends (_brothers, _how fucking surreal is _that) _with the best hall monitor around, and the cutest hacker alive is now accompanying him in the gym daily. Life's going pretty good, if Mondo could say so himself.

"Oowada-kun?" Chihiro's gentle voice interrupts him from his current thoughts, "You're smiling a little weirdly…"

Mondo sits up as fast as he could with a 20lb weight in his hand, and settles into a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Fujisaki. I was just thinking about things."

That understanding smirk Chihiro gives him is pretty unnerving, "Really? Just don't get too distracted and hurt yourself, okay?"

"Of course!" Mondo made a show of lifting the weight a few times much to Chihiro's entertainment, and he smiles again albeit less creepily. God, she's cute. It's a pleasure being able to assist her in getting stronger like this; it's always a pleasure helping someone as great as Chihiro.

/

Talking about cute, there is always that one guy who's always too fucking cute when he doesn't even want to be. Ishimaru's tapping a wooden pencil against his lips as he frowns at the paper laid out before him. His face just lights up in the best ways after a moment and he looks up at Mondo (who's already been watching him for the past 5 minutes), "Kyoudai! Kyoudai, I know how to solve this!"

"Sure, let's see how ya do it then." Mondo takes to scooting a little closer and rests his chin over Ishimaru's shoulder. Of course Ishimaru doesn't mind. Ishimaru just beams and proceeds to show Mondo his calculations, even being careful so he doesn't accidentally shrug Mondo off his shoulder. Ishimaru never minds. Hell, Mondo could just turn his head and kiss Ishimaru's ear and he'd probably—

Mondo stops himself right there. He's been having many thoughts like these lately; it's not really something he condones in himself. So he forces himself to focus on Ishimaru's explanations about math. Not on how nice it feels to have that spiky soft hair against the side of his face. Not how good Ishimaru smells; woodsy yet almost antiseptic-like. Get a grip on yourself Mondo.

"So that is how it is done, I think? Are you listening, Kyoudai?"

"Mhm. I think I got it too."

The little nuzzle Ishimaru gives Mondo with a tilt of his head shouldn't make his heart jump into his throat, but it does.

/

Mondo's not sure why it pains him so much to tell Ishimaru this. It feels like someone's tearing him apart.

"… Sorry Kyoudai, but I promised Fujisaki my time after class, y'know? I never told you yet. We've been doing stuff." Fuck if that didn't sound like the vaguest thing in the universe. He thought he saw Ishimaru's expression falter a little but another glance and its nothing peculiar, just slight surprise, "Exercising. We've been…training."

"Oh!" Ishimaru exclaims, and smiles that formal smile of his, "That is great, Kyoudai! I would not want to interrupt your plans; I apologize for not considering that before telling you my request. Some other time, then! I shall take my leave. See you tomorrow, Kyoudai!"

And he leaves with his back straight as a pole and his head up high and he doesn't seem affected at all and somehow that makes Mondo feel even more like shit than before.

/

So Mondo likes Ishimaru. Obviously he already likes Ishimaru since that memorable sauna competition they both had back when Ishimaru refers to Mondo as 'that troublesome delinquent' and Mondo calls Ishimaru a 'prick with a ruler up his ass'. But he's sure now that he _likes _likes Ishimaru. More than a friend. More than brothers. He wants to kiss Ishimaru till tears come to his eyes from being out of breath and happiness and it's the hardest thing Mondo has ever faced yet.

Mondo's bad at things concerning love; he's never even dated before. But he knows one thing; if there is someone that actually returns his affections; he'll protect that person till his very last breath. A man's promise to himself. Mondo grew up listening to Daiya reminding him that a man would do their all to protect their loved ones. With or without blood relations; if you love someone, you'd die for them.

And yet…

Protecting two people with the same intensity would probably be against the rules, wouldn't it? Or at least it wouldn't make Mondo feel good about himself. Right? Ishimaru might even not feel the same way at all. And Chihiro… Chihiro is relying on Mondo. If Mondo was a selfish man, he'd drop the expectations on himself, he'd choose what he wants most, because as much as he likes Chihiro, he's pretty sure people are starting to think they're a thing and even if that is appealing, it's Ishimaru that he wants and neither of them even feel like that for him so what—

But Mondo isn't selfish. Protecting someone is a big deal, and he's made a promise. Mondo never breaks promises.

/

"Oowada-kun!" The expression of shock on Chihiro's face surprises him, and the small hands suddenly just shoving him off the exercise bench startles him even more, "You've got it all wrong!"

Mondo lands on his ass on the carpeted floor of the gym and he frowns, "Hey kid, what are ya—"

"I don't want you to protect me!" Chihiro has tears in her eyes and her hands are fists in front of her chest, "I don't need you to! It was never about needing protection! I want to be stronger_, _so I can protect _myself!_ You've got it all wrong!"

Mondo blinks once, twice, before standing up with his brows furrowed in slight guilt. Did he get it wrong? Really? Chihiro wipes her tears with the back of her hands and looks up at Mondo with a stern face.

"I really want to be strong. As strong as you, maybe even stronger. I asked you to help me out because I didn't know how to start, and I wasn't sure if I would be doing the right thing, but you helped me, Oowada-kun, and I am very grateful for that. But if you think that you're obligated to protect me, then you can stop right there. You don't have to. I don't want you to. Okay? So please, for your own sake, you go right back to Ishimaru-kun and tell him that you want to be with him right now because he's really down in the dumps lately, and I have no doubt at all that it's because of you, Oowada-kun."

Mondo can't say he didn't notice. Sure he still spent time with Ishimaru during school hours but he's been avoiding the prefect a little since his revelation about what he feels for Ishimaru. Fucker probably thought he did something wrong that made Mondo angry. Shit.

"So…is it okay if I tell him I love him?"

"Yes!" Chihiro nods in frustration, clasping her hands together in some sort of internal relief, "Please do, oh my god. I don't even know what's taking you so long!"

Mondo rubs at the back of his head, feeling a little more than downright stupid for the conclusions he made a few days ago. But alright. Chihiro doesn't want his protection. Never needed it. He's all good to lavish whatever protectiveness he has on Ishimaru. That sounds good. It sounds perfect. He'll help Chihiro on her way to strength, hell, maybe even pull Ishimaru along in his mission, and just…dedicate his life to Ishimaru. Why the hell didn't he think of this before?!

He looks at Chihiro and grins. Chihiro grins right back and he knows everything's alright.

/

"Kyoudai, what is the meaning of this?" Ishimaru looks a little more than pissed off, "I do not think it was necessary to disrupt me from the student council meeting. This better be important."

Mondo rubs at the back of his head and clears his throat, "It sorta is. For me, though. I think. Yeah. Uh."

"Go on. Out with it, Kyoudai."

"Do you wanna go out with me?"

"Of course! You could have just informed me after school, you know. Though I would love to spend time with you, it seems to have been a while since—" Ishimaru cut himself off right there, his usually steady gaze averted. Adorable. He's so fucking precious. Why the hell did Mondo wait this long.

"I love ya and I wanna date ya. Let's go on a date, Ishimaru. That's what I meant. And if you'd let me I'll kiss you and everything. There." He's yelling his words but they sound right to him and he doesn't care, he needs to say this now or never.

It takes Ishimaru about ten seconds to digest that. Two more for his face to redden to the point where it seems like he'd explode. Three till tears start filling his eyes. Five for him to bow his head and cry, wiping at his face while nodding, telling Mondo that 'yes, yes. Yes. Please. I want to go out with you." And three more seconds for Mondo to feel like dying over Ishimaru's reaction and the amount of blood rushing to his face.

Everything is alright after all.


End file.
